So Close
by DeaDellaMorte
Summary: A 'missing moment' of what should have happened during Mia's 18th birthday party.


"Wow," J.P. said, with a smile. He didn't look at all disturbed by Boris's news. In fact, he had his hands in the pockets of his tuxedo pants, like he was James Bond, or someone. He'd probably gotten Sean Penn's phone number and was fondling it. "That's great."

"J.P. wrote a play," Tina squeaked. Apparently because she was unable to stand the tension and was trying to change the subject.

Everyone just looked at her. I thought Lilly was going to bust a piercing, her eyebrows were so furrowed as she tried to hold in what was apparently a huge horse laugh.

"Wow," Michael said. "That's great."

I honestly didn't know if he was being serious or if he was making fun of J.P., basically repeating the same thing he'd just said, or what. All I knew was, I had to get the heck out of there, or the tension was going to kill me. And who wants to stroke out on their eighteenth birthday?

"Well," I said, handing Tina my plate. "Princess duty calls. I have to go mingle. See you guys later—"

Before I could finish my graceful exit, the delicate sounds of a piano thrummed across the deck and I turned to Tina expectantly. The song was not a Madonna song, but it looked like she was doing something special for my birthday. Tina just smiled, and as the opening line floated towards us, Michael looked at me.

"May I have a dance with the birthday girl?" This time it was my ribs that Tina elbowed, causing me to nod jerkily – much like a chicken if I had to hazard a guess. J.P. just smiled at us, like it didn't bother him at all that his girlfriend was about to dance to one of her favorite songs with her exboyfriend. And who knows – maybe it didn't.

I allowed him to lead me a little away to the makeshift dancefloor and pull me into his arms. I closed my eyes and breathed in that familiar Michael scent as the second verse started. It was so painfully awkward and I almost couldn't breathe around the smell of his neck, so close to my face. And then the chorus started, and he pulled me closer – right up next to him and started WALTZING!

Since when did Michael WALTZ?

He was good, too. Better than I am, in fact. Tina and Lilly were standing off to the side of the dance floor, with Kenny – excuse me – Kenneth and Boris and – SMILING? It was WAY too confusing. And then Michael started to hum. And then sing.

His voice was slightly deeper than I remembered, but it was still MICHAEL! SINGING TO ME! And then he just stopped singing and looked at me with that smile that I remembered so well, the one that said he was about to tease me for something.

"Do you still dance around your bedroom when this part of the movie comes on?" he asked and I laughed – and then blushed, because of course he was right. I did still dance around during this part – only now I had to do it in the living room when there was no one else home since they took my TV away. I nodded. "Then hold on." That was the only warning he gave me before he dipped me into a series of turns and spins and for a moment, I felt like I really was Giselle and he was Richard and this was the last time we'd ever see one another and we knew it.

And then, just as we were both starting to laugh and get a little dizzy, right on cue, J.P. cut in. ""Actually, Mia, if it's all right with you, I have sort of an announcement I'd like to make, and I can't think of a better time than right now. Will you go with me up to the microphone? Madonna's about to take a break."

Michael kind of looked at him funny, like he was the outsider and didn't have the right to cut in, but it was J.P.'s voice that brought me back to my senses. I was dating J.P. and dancing to a very romantic song about two people who would never have the chance to be together with Michael, my ex. That was when I started feeling sick to my stomach. Because what sort of announcement could J.P. be going to make? In front of the Clintons? And Madonna and her band? And my dad?

Oh, and Michael.

But before I could say anything, J.P. started gently tugging—okay, dragging—me up to the stage they'd set up over the yacht's built-in pool.

And the next thing I knew, Madonna was moving graciously out of the way and J.P. had hold of the microphone and was asking for everyone's attention—and getting it. Three hundred faces were turning our way as my heart thumped inside my chest.

*Parts of this story are directly taken from The Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever Princess. This was just a little idea that floated into my head a few nights ago and refused to come out until I wrote it. In case you didn't pick up on it, the song they are dancing to is 'So Close' from the movie Enchanted. If you haven't heard it, you should definitely listen to it, because it is just so perfect and fit into the birthday scene so perfectly that it was just impossible for me to ignore. And Mia does mention that she likes the movie at one point in the series, so I improvised a little bit. I hope you like it.


End file.
